Wednesday, 16 September 2015
UFS 101 - Science Fair - UFS Qwaqwa Campus - 12 September 2015
ASSA Bloemfontein joined forces with the UFS 101 team from the University of the Free State to make the Science Faire on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus a success. Learners from nearby schools and students looked at sunspots with a telescope.
Sunday, 13 September 2015
13 September 2015 partial solar eclipse from Bloemfontein
Observing the 13 September 2015 partial solar eclipse from Bloemfontein, South Africa. Canon 40D; Bader Photographic Solar Filter; 1/500 sec; ISO 1250; Orion Apex 102mm Maksutov-Cassegrain Telescope; Mirror up. Sunspots AR2412 and 2414 visible. 07:48 SAST. (Hannes Pieterse)
Saturday, 8 August 2015
Sunday, 2 August 2015
A Southern Comet in August - C/2013 US10 Catalina
C/2013 US10 Catalina (Click to Enlarge. Map created wit Skytools3
Source: Richard S Pearson
In 2013 we had comet ISON which put on a splendid display in the winter sky travelling along it's celestial path. ISON then embarked on a perilous journey towards the center of our solar system. ISON came to perihelion on 28 November of that year and broke apart due to the Sun's immense heat and tidal forces. That was the last we seen of this Christmas comet.
In the autumn of 2013 as comet ISON was putting on a display for
amateur astronomers in the northern hemisphere, and the media were
gearing up in preparation for a spectacular view of the comet in the
first days of December, astronomer R. A. Kowalski identified a new
comet; C/2013 US10 from images using a 0.68-meter (27 in)
Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope of the Catalina Sky Survey.
C/2013 US10 Catalina was then at Mag +19 and very faint. It is a long period comet originating from the region of the Oort's Cloud with an orbital period of 7 million years. The Oort's cloud lies far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Since then it has travelled in towards the Sun, and today (2 August) it lies 106,900 miles from the Earth, and is putting on a show for amateur astronomers living in the southern hemisphere. At the beginning of August comet Catalina is in the constellation of Tucana, and will pass through the adjacent constellation of Pavo from 8 -18 August, before moving through the constellation Apus during the end of the month.
During August the comet is easily within range of a pair of 10x50 binoculars. It is now shining at Mag +7.0 and will brighten to Mag +6.5 by 31 August.
C/2013 US10 Catalina was then at Mag +19 and very faint. It is a long period comet originating from the region of the Oort's Cloud with an orbital period of 7 million years. The Oort's cloud lies far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Since then it has travelled in towards the Sun, and today (2 August) it lies 106,900 miles from the Earth, and is putting on a show for amateur astronomers living in the southern hemisphere. At the beginning of August comet Catalina is in the constellation of Tucana, and will pass through the adjacent constellation of Pavo from 8 -18 August, before moving through the constellation Apus during the end of the month.
During August the comet is easily within range of a pair of 10x50 binoculars. It is now shining at Mag +7.0 and will brighten to Mag +6.5 by 31 August.
Sunday, 26 July 2015
Sunday, 12 July 2015
Thursday, 9 July 2015
New Horizons Pluto Spacecraft Sends Photos As Excitement Builds for Flyby
Dwarf planet Pluto, shown here in the latest high-res image from NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, will get its close-up in less than a week.
By Nadia Drake, National Geographic
PUBLISHED July 07, 2015
PUBLISHED July 07, 2015
Pluto will get its closeup in less than a week, despite a heart-stopping glitch that briefly silenced the New Horizons spacecraft over the holiday weekend. Now, the craft is back in action and entering what NASA calls encounter mode—where gathering data about the frosted world trumps just about everything else.
Read more...
Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Monday, 18 May 2015
Dunlop and Lacaille - Deep-sky Marathons at FS Star Party
The Guidelines for the two Deep-sky Marthons in progress.... The James Dunlop Catalogue (150 objects) and the Lacaille (1755) - Southern Nebulous Objects (41) are the two marathons on our deep-sky menu at the Free State Star Party (12 - 16 June 2015).
Visit the ASSA Marathon section
Read more about the first ever marathon we have completed in Central South Africa in 2014 in Nigtfall.
"Nightfall" (2015 April) is the current newsletter of the Deep-Sky Observing Section of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.
- Download the free PDF from the ASSA website at assa.saao.ac.za/sections/deep-sky/nebulae-clusters/nightfall/
Visit the ASSA Marathon section
Read more about the first ever marathon we have completed in Central South Africa in 2014 in Nigtfall.
"Nightfall" (2015 April) is the current newsletter of the Deep-Sky Observing Section of the Astronomical Society of Southern Africa.
- Download the free PDF from the ASSA website at assa.saao.ac.za/sections/deep-sky/nebulae-clusters/nightfall/
Friday, 8 May 2015
Free State Winter Star Party - Vrystaat Winter Sterrefees
A Star Part in the warm heart of Central South Africa
12 – 16 June 2015
On the farm Gansvlei close to Brandfort (13km)
GPS Coordinates: 28°47'48.63"S 26°28'25.66"E
Highlights at the FS Star Party
- Observing and Astrophotography
- Deep-sky Marathon
- A visit to Boyden Observatory (Museum and old telescopes)
- A show in the Digital Planetarium on Naval Hill.
- 3 Astro Guest Speakers
Vrystaat Winter Sterrefees
Sterpartytjie in die warm hart van Sentraal Suid-Afrika
Op die plaas Gansvlei by Brandfort (13km)
GPS Koördinate 28°47'48.63"S 26°28'25.66"E
Hoogtepunte by die VS Sterrefees:
- Waarneming en Astrofotografie
- Besoek Boyden Sterrewag met sy museum en ou teleskope
- Vertoning in die Digitale Planetarium op Naval Hill
- 3 Astro Gassprekers
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